Beşadalar or Beş Adalar ( Turkish meaning "five islands"; grc, Χελιδόνιαι and Χελιδόνεαι, meaning "Swallow Islands"; la, Chelidoniae Insulae; it, Celidoni) is a group of islands off

Cape Gelidonya Cape Gelidonya ( tr, Gelidonya Burnu or Taşlık Burnu, from el, Χελιδωνία, ''Chelidonia''; la, Chelidonium promontorium), formerly Kilidonia or Killidonia is a cape or headland on the Teke Peninsula in the chain of Taurus Mountains, loc ...

on the south coast of

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

. The largest island is named ''Devecitaşı Ada''.

History

Stephanus of Byzantium mentions two rocks, according to Phavorinus, one called ''Corudela'', and the other ''Melanippeia''; but the position is not mentioned. Scylax also mentions only two. According to Strabo, the

Taurus Mountains The Taurus Mountains ( Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ''Toroslar'') are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean coastal region from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğird ...

first attains a great elevation opposite to the Chelidoniae, which are islands situated at the commencement of the sea-coast of

Pamphylia Pamphylia (; grc, Παμφυλία, ''Pamphylía'') was a region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus (all in modern-day Antalya province, Turkey). It was bounded on the north b ...

, or on the borders of

Lycia Lycia ( Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; el, Λυκία, ; tr, Likya) was a state or nationality that flourished in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean Sea in what is ...

and

. They were off the Hiera Acra (

), three in number, rugged, and of the same extent, distant about five stadia from one another, and six stadia from the coast; one of them having an anchorage or port.

Dionysius Periegetes Dionysius Periegetes ( grc-gre, Διονύσιος ὁ Περιηγητής, literally Dionysius the Voyager or Traveller, often Latinized to ''Dionysius Periegeta''), also known as Dionysius of Alexandria or Dionysius the African,''Encyclopædia ...

, mention three islands.

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

, who places these islands opposite to the Tauri promontorium, mentions three, and observes that they are dangerous to navigators; but no dangers were discovered by Beaufort. There are five islands off Cape Gelidonya: two of these islands are from four to five hundred feet high; the other three are small and barren. The Italian name for the islands (Celidoni), derived from the Greek name Chelidoniae.

List of Islands

*Beşadalar (Beş Adalar, Şıldanlar, Kutsal Kayalar, Gelidonya, Helidonya, Kırlangıç Adaları, Taşlıkburnu, Yardımcı Burnu, Chelidoniae Insulae, Chelidoniai, Celidoni, Chelidonia, Chelidonides nisoi, Χελιδονίδες νῆσοι, Χελιδόνιαι, Πέντε Νησιά) **Ateş Island (Poligon, Atış) **Devecitaşı Island (Melanippeia, Uzunada) **Meşe Island (Korydela, Corudela) ** Suluada Island (Sulada, Sulu Ada, Krambusa, Krambousa, Crambusa, Grambúsa, Granbusa, Garabusa, Cambruxa, Ixola de Cambro, Karayoza, Karaboğaz, Dionysias, Κραμπούσα) **Topuk Taşı Islet

Seals

The islands are a refuge for seals on the south coast of Turkey.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Besadalar Islands of Turkey Islands of Antalya Province Kumluca District